George Deloss Bowman

Tuesday

Jan 14, 2014 at 10:17 AM

CLINTON — George Deloss Bowman was born Dec. 10, 1922, to Cecile (Johnson) Bowman and Clarence L. Bowman and died on Jan. 13, 2014, at age 91. He will always be remembered by his family as a patriot and as the patriarch not only of his family, but of his community.

He spent the first few years of his life in Bloomfield Hills before moving with his family to a farm on Lemm Road in Manchester. He attended high school in Clinton, graduating in the Class of 1941. On Oct. 17, 1942, he married Margaret (McDermott) Bowman. They celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2012, and she preceded him in death in August 2013.

He was drafted in the Army during World War II and served with the 1881st Aviation Engineers in New Guinea and the Philippines. His service to his country was a source of pride to him as well as his family and the community. For more than 35 years he proudly carried the American flag in nearly all of the parades held in Clinton.

After returning home from the war, George returned to Clinton, and there he and Margaret raised their five children, Dennis (Paula), Barbara (Steven Stack), Timothy (Sheila Bork), Kevin (Carolyn) and Mary Kirby (Evan). He had nine grandchildren, Colleen, Caroline, Beth, Amy, Matthew, Erika, Lucas, Alexander and Molly; and seven great-grandchildren, Thomas, Michael, Jacob, Kylee, Amber, Ellie and Nora.

After the war, George owned and operated a gas station in Clinton. After a few years, he went to work for Ford Motor Company, while attending classes at Eastern Michigan University and Walsh College in the evening. He was loaned in 1977 by Ford to be the guest of the Argentine government to consult with them on automotive production. He retired as an executive from Ford in 1982.

He holds the record for having served as village president of Clinton for the longest amount of time. While serving as village president, he ushered Clinton into the modern era by paving streets and installing curbs, gutters and street lights throughout the village, and was instrumental in obtaining the Smith-Kimball home for use as Clinton's community center.

Retirement did not mean an end to public service. He served on the board of directors of Saline Hospital for 12 years. While there he helped them cut their budget to again become a profitable hospital. He also became active in the VFW and served as their quartermaster and also was active in the American Legion. He also served on the financial committee of St. Dominic Catholic Church. Until just a few years ago, he could be seen each year selling poppies for the VFW and Tootsie Rolls for the Knights of Columbus.He enjoyed fine woodworking, fishing and was a handyman extraordinaire.

When asked what he was most proud of in his life, George replied that he was the proudest of his family and his career.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Almont, Alton, Bond, Rolland, Llewellyn, Maurice and Clarence; and by his sister, Annabelle Spencer.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Clinton Chapel of Handler Funeral Homes, with a vigil service at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at St. Dominic Chapel in Clinton. He will lie in state from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Rite of Christian Burial will take place at St. Dominic Catholic Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Dominic Chapel, c/o St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 506 N. Union St., Tecumseh, MI 49286. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.HandlerFuneralHomes.com.